Are the Connor Brothers a Good Investment?

The Connor Brothers first gained attention in the art world around 2013, when a number of works saw success at auction alongside names such as Banksy and Damien Hirst. Interest in the brothers only grew when the pair revealed that they were not brothers, but London art dealers Mike Snelle and James Golding, who were using the characters of the Connor Brothers to create their work.

This revelation – shocking some, amusing others – saw the ‘Connor Brothers’ gaining even more attention from the art world, its dealers and collectors, celebrity collaborators, and a fascinated public. Through it all, their work has been increasing in value, leading many to ask the all-important question: is artwork by the Connor Brothers a good investment?

Art With a Message

The Connor Brothers are best known for their immensely popular series of works that reimagine book covers with cutting, satirical or thought-provoking titles. Some are created with a simple graphic format, such as the reimagined Penguins Classics works with titles such as “I Fucking Love You” against a block colour background. Others contrast the titles with pulp fiction style portraits or Mills and Boons scenes. The Connor Brothers continue to produce original and limited-edition versions of these works, most recently reimagining the Pelican Academic series.

However, the Connor Brothers have also been lauded for a number of other artwork series; for example, their Redaction series, which featured creatively redacted correspondence between world leaders, or their Bastardisedseries, which recreated famous artworks with a twist, such as Van Gogh’s self-portrait with an added covid facemask.

During the 2020 lockdown, The Connor Brothers departed from these acerbically witty styles with Regression, a series of expressive linework pieces featuring imaginative imagery such as dinosaurs; however, they have since also created more works in their more traditional style.

The Connor Brothers’ Biggest Sales

The Connor Brothers have seen their sales take off since the mid 2010-s, and a number of their collectors have enjoyed significant success at auction. According to an Artsy art market report in 2020, The Connor Brothers had exceeded the sales records of Mr Brainwash, David Hockney, and Keith Haring.

The biggest sale from The Connor Brothers to date was Old Behaviour, one of their Regression pieces. The sketched dinosaur against a bright and colourful background sold for £47,880 in 2022, surprising everyone after it was given an estimate of just £8,000. Another top-end result was for their ‘bastardised’ take on Salvator Mundi, titled The Bestest And Most Expensivist Painting In The History Of Art. This sold for £44,100, exceeding its estimate of £15,000 and once again gaining huge attention for the Connor Brothers’ investment potential.

Should you buy a Connor Brothers Artwork?

With a new collection of book-cover works having launched in 2024, attention for The Connor Brothers’ typical style remains high. Of course, the success of more than one of their Regression series at auction shows that their wider body of work is in demand, and may yet prove more popular than their earlier styles. However, a surprising auction result is generally something outside of the norm rather than a data point to be used for future predictions. At present, the Connor Brothers are still best known for their satirical book cover works.

When looking at artworks with the greatest investment potential, the strongest purchases will almost always be for those in a style that already have market demand; ideally, works that have already sold out on the primary market. In this case, the secondary market is the place to go. There are already a number of collectors who are taking advantage of the Connor Brothers’ increased value and have placed their collections on the secondary market.

Which Connor Brothers Artworks Should You Buy?

The best Connor Brothers limited edition artworks to invest in will be those from edition runs that have already sold out, as these will be rarer and more sought after. Some of their limited editions will not be in as high a demand, and might be available to purchase at much lower prices as a result.

You can also purchase original works, which are recreations of the print images on canvas, using oil, acrylic or a printing method, for which a studio team is used. In general, the most recognisable original Connor Brothers artworks will be those that belong to popular collections, such as their pulp-fiction cover works or their reimagined Penguin Classics pieces. These pieces will naturally carry higher prices; additionally, the demand for a limited edition print run may indicate a demand for its original counterpart.

The secondary market can also allow you the freedom to search for a particular Connor Brothers artwork, perhaps to complete your collection – or to bring a favourite artwork with a poignant or witty message home to your wall.